Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki

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The Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki (鍾馗, "Devil Queller") was a single-seat fighter-interceptor which was designed and produced by the Japanese aviation manufacturer Nakajima Aircraft Company. Operated by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) from 1942 to 1945 during World War II, its official designation was Army Type 2 Single-Seat Fighter (二式単座戦闘機) and its Allied reporting name was Tojo. The name Shōki refers to Zhong Kui (鍾馗), a Taoist deity in the Chinese mythology, traditionally regarded as a vanquisher of ghosts and evil beings. The development of the Ki-44 was launched in 1939 as a dedicated heavy fighter aircraft. Performing its maiden flight in August 1940, the initial prototypes initially failed to attain the demanding airspeed requirement of 600 km/h (370 mph); a redesign effort centred around decreasing drag proved the aircraft could exceed this speed. The Ki-44 differed greatly from the typical Japanese fighters of the era, its design prioritising both speed and rate-of-climb in preference...

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